Fire-alarm system.



J. B. AMMONS.

FIRE ALARM SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED.JAN.21,1915.

1,132,245. I Patented Mar. 16, 1915.

i 1mm! 1% J UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

iorm' B. neurons, or nousTor ExAs, AssIeNon or ONE-TENTH To nvannnn AMMONS AND onn-rrrrnnnrn To oTIs MCGAFFEY, BOTH or HoUsToN, TEXAS.

FIRE-ALARM sYsTnM.

Specification of Letters Baten Patented Mar. 16, 1915.

Original application flied Dtflmber 8, 1914, Serial No. 878,056, Divided and this application filed January 21, 1915. Serial No, 3,643.

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN 'B. AMMoNs, citizen of the United States, residing at Houston, in the county.- of Harris and .State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire-Alarm Systems; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying-drawing and. to letters or figures of reference marked thereon, Which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in automatic fire alarm systems, of that type wherein a normally open electric circuit including alarm devlces and circuit closers is led through one or more chambers or build? ings and arranged toindicate by sound or visible means. the location of a fire within any one of the several chambers through which h ci ui is ed.

This application is a division of my application, Serial Number 876,086, filed Deoember. 8th, 1914:.

My former application, above referred to, comprises an alarm system consisting of an electric circuit within which a thermally operated circuit closer was placed, which was adapted to. Sound an alarm when the circuit closer had been closed by an opera- 7 tion of the thermalelements of the circuit closer. The circuit closer consisted of' a fusible member which was placed between the two contacts of the circuit closer and held these contacts apart. Adjacent this fusible member was a cannon so arranged that when it was exploded aprojectile would be driven against the fusible member and dislodge it and allow the separated ends of h circuit closer to meet and thereb close the ircuit- The present improvement hereinafter to he morefully described, comprises an aiarm system, consisting of an electric circuit within which a thermally operated circuit closer is placed, which wil sound an alarm, which is also placed in a circuit, when the circuit closer has b n c sed by an operati n f i s thermal elements.

The inventi n herein particularly relates o a speci c orm of circui desert which allowed to come together and thereby close the circuit. 1

The projectile is made of fusible material so that if it is not removed by an ignition of the charge within the cannon, it will be the contacts of the circuit closer to come together and thereby close the circuit and sound the alarm.

The object of the present improvement is to devise a thermal circuit closer consisting of a fusible member which is placed between the points of the circuit closer and holds them apart, and which fusible member will either be removed by a burning of the fusible member itself, or by being projected by a cannon by which it is carried.

Other objects and advantages of the present improvement will be set forth in the following description and drawings in which Figure 1 is a view showing a portion of the interior of a room and a section through the partitions thereof, exposing to View one simple form of a fire alarm system arranged in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the circuit closer shown in Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is an enlarged side elevation of the circuit closer. Fig. 4 is an enlarged detached perspective view of the supporting means for the explosion mechanism of the circuit closer. Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional View taken on the line 55 of Fig. 2.

Referring now to the drawings in which like reference numerals designate similar parts and referring particularly to Fig. 1, this figure shows a portion of the interior of a room and a section through the partition thereof exposing to View my improved fire alarm system arranged to indicate the fire in one room only and provided with but one alarm. It is to be understood, however, that the main circuit wires of this system may be prolonged to Cover a plurality of itself ignited andburned and thereby allow I rooms or a' number of buildings within which room and buildings a plurality of circuit closers may be arranged, and'a plurality of alarms may also be arranged adjacent these rooms. Such arrangement would be a mere duplication of the system shown in Fig. 1, and such duplication is within the spirit and scope of this invention.

Referring now to Fig. 1 in detail, 1 represents an alarm bell having one of its contacts connected to a wire 2, which leads to one pole of a source of electric energy 3', and the other contact being connected to one terminal 4 of a circuit closer 5, by means of the wire 6. The other pole of the source of V the electrical energy, here shown as a battery 8, is connected by a wire 7 to a device for indicating the strength of the battery, said device being indicated at 8. No further description will be given of the device 8, for the reason that any well-lmown form of volt-ameter may be used. The wire 9 leads from the volt-ameter to the other terminal 10 of the circuit closer 5. Thus it will be seen that when the circuit closer 5 is operated toa closed position a complete circuit is formed and current is supplied to sound the alarm 1.

The circuit closer 5 in detail, comprises the contacts 11 and 12, the former being mounted on a spring arm 13. A cannon 16 is mounted adjacent. the spring arm 13 a fusible projectile 17 in its muzzle, which fusible projectile is placed adjacent the under side of the spring arm 13 and holds the said arm in an upward position and thereby holding the contact 12 away from the contact 11. When the cannon 16 is exploded, the projectile 17 will move from the spring 1 arm 13, allowing the contacts 11 and l2'to close. The explosion of the cannon and its dislodgement of the projectile 17 forms one means of allowing the points of the circuit closer to come in contact and thereby close the circuit. However, should the fire not produce an explosion inthe cannon of the fuse it will, in spreading, reach the circuit closer itself and the fusible projectile 17 will be consumed and the spring arm 13 will then be released, whereby the contacts 10 and 11 will come together and close the circuit and sound the alarm.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that l have provided two means which are adjacent the circuit closer itself for allowing contacts of the circuit closer to come together and close the circuit when a fire occurs at the oint where the circuit closer is situated. ne of these means consists in the ignition of the charge within the cannon and the dislodgement of the projectile in this way, and theother manner consists in making the projectile of fusible material whereby the fire occurring at the and at right angles thereto. The cannon 16 carries by means point where the circuit closer is placed will consume the projectile and allow the circuit closer to occupy a closed position.

In addition to the means for closing the circuit closer at the point where the closer itself is placed, I have provided an additlonalmeans whereby the cannon may be exploded from any number of distant points.

This means consists inthe specific construction of the cannon and the arrangement of the fuses connecting the cannon and any dison the outer periphery of the breech of the.

cannon. The central opening 33 and also the radial grooves 31 are filled with powder. The upper portion of the radialgrooves 31 is enlarged to receive the end ofia fuse 32,

which fuses are of any desired length and are extended to any desired distant point. When a fire occurs at any point adj acent'any of the fuse, the fuse will be consumed until it reaches the cannon where it will ignite the powder within the groove within which the fuse is placed. The powder in the groove will burn, ignite the owder within the central opening 33 and t en ignite the explosive charge within the can'nonlfi. By this construction it will be seen that I have devised a cannon of simple construction which will admit a plurality of fuses to have communication with the explosive charge within the-cannon to ignite it. Due'to this construction a great number of fuses may be used and thesefuses placed in a plurality of points and thereby insuring that a fire occurring at nearly any point in the room will be uickly communicated to the cannon,

explode 1t and thereby close the circuit closer and sound an alarm.

From 3 the foregoing description it will be seen that l have devised a thermal circuit closer which may be operated in two ways, either by a fire at the point where the circuit closer is placed, or by afire occurring at any one of a lurality of points throughout the room. y this construction should the fire occur at a oint distant from the circuit closer, it wili circuit closer and the alarm sounded. -However, should the fuses connecting the point where the fire occurs and the cannon not operate, when the burning fuses reach it, nevertheless as soon as the fire in the room reaches the point where the circuit closer is placed, it will destroy the fusible projectile and be communicated to the or should the cannon itself not explode thereby close the circuit and sound the ably mounted by means of a full U-shaped member 21 and a three-quarter member 22 which are adapted to engage squared lugs 33 provided integral with the cannon 16. When it is desired to insert or remove the cannon from these supports one lug is first'placed under the U-shaped bracket 21'and then the other slid under the three-quarter bracket 22 as is readily understood.

It may be stated in connection with the cannon employed in the circuit closers that the fusible projectile 17 is preferably made of wax, fusible at a suitable temperature, and acts to hermetically seal the mouth of the cannon. Also the point at which the fuse or fuses enter the cannon is also hermetically sealed by any suitable means such as a few drops of wax, thus insuring at all times the proper preservation of the explosive substance in the cannon against deterioration due to atmospheric conditions.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In an automatic fire alarm system, an alarm circuit including contacts, an explosive container or cannon, a fusible projectile carried by said cannon and normally holding said contacts in an open circuit position with respect to each other, and fusible means connected with the contents of said cannon for exploding the former and projecting the projectile to release the contacts, substantially as described.

2. In an automatic fire alarm system, an

alarm circuit including a fixed and a movable spring contact for engagement with said fixed contact for closing said circuit, an explosive container or cannon, a fusible projectile carried by said cannon and normally engaging said spring contact to hold the same in open circuit position with respect to said fixed contact, and fusible means connected with the contents'of said cannon for exploding the former and projecting said projectile to release said spring contact and close said circuit, substantially as described.

3. In anautomatic fire alarm system, an alarm circuit including contacts, an explosive container or cannon, a fusible projectile carried by said cannon, the said projectile normally holding said contacts in an open circuit position with respect to each other, the said. fusible projectile providing means for closing the circuit closer, means for firing the cannon whereby the projectile will be removed and the circuit closer closed.

4. In an automatic fire alarm system, an alarm circuit including contacts, a cannon providing means for normally holding the contacts in open circuit relation to each other, means for firing the said cannon, and

thereby allow the contacts to close the circuit, said firing means comprising a plurality of radial passages in the cannon breech, the said passages having communi cation with the explosive charge within the cannon and with the outer periphery of the said cannon, fusible material within the said passages, and a plurality of fuses fitting within the outer ends of the said passages substantially as described.

'5. In an automatic fire alarm system including contacts, explosion means adjacent the said contacts, fusible means carried by the explosion means and normally holding the contacts apart, the said fusible means adapted to be operated by a fire adjacent the contacts, elongated fuses connecting the explosion charge to any plurality of points whereby the said explosion means is operated by a fire situated at any one of a plurality of points. 7

6. In an automatic fire alarm system, an alarm circuit including contacts, a fusible element for holding said contacts in open position and means includin an explosive chamber for projecting the usible element bodily to allow the contacts to close, the fusible element acting to seal the explosive chamber and being susceptible of fusing by heat if the explosion fails to project the fusible element.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

, JOHN B. AMMONS.

Witnesses:

EMILY F. CAMP, J NO. IMIRIE. 

